Book Recommendation

“Don’t all missionaries live in grass huts, wear taped glasses, have 13 children and stutter?” I hope you will read a book written by a young English teacher here at RVA. I’ve read the first few chapters, and he so aptly communicates our thoughts on ministry among the children of missionaries.

I’m waiting to finish the book because, to some extent, I fear inadvertently plagiarizing Ryan on our blog. I hear he humorously writesabout various mishaps, struggles, and adventures faced as a young family during their first year on the mission field, “This book tells our story, the story of two American twenty-somethings who heard a whole lot of talk about reaching the lost and going to all nations, but didn’t see a whole lot of it happening.” He chronicles their journey of paying off $50,000 in college debt, being hip Southern Californians, and carrying the only grandchild on both sides of the family to the other side of the globe. While the experience of teachers differs somewhat from that of dorm parents, you will get an accurate glimpse into our lives here at RVA.

I walked into Ryan and Heather’s yard one day and noticed a miniature basketball goal bearing the Tar Heel emblem. Somehow, from across the whole country, Ryan became a Carolina Tar Heels fan. I earned a degree from UNC, but due to the overwhelming influence of the men in my life, I invariably pull againstCarolina. Ryan’s dad evidently (and, seemingly, randomly) chose Duke as his favorite college team, so Ryan decided to pull for one of Duke’s rivals (so I suppose Ryan’s choice wasn’t entirely random). The neighborhood Kijabe dentist is from North Carolina and completed one degree at UNC and another at Duke, but I believe he remains faithful to Duke. ACC basketball fans may be interested in Ryan’s mocking of Warren’s loyalties.

The following is from All That You Can’t Leave Behind: A Rookie Missionary’s Life in Africa by Ryan J. Murphy:

Africa is the answer

As a teacher of missionary kids, our missionary work looks a little bit different. We’re not translating, teaching, healing, or working directly with the people we’re living among; our mission is to help the kids of the people who are doing those things. One step removed.

So, our first big questions were A) where is the biggest need in the world and B) where are our hearts drawn to? Here’s why Africa was the answer.

• There are 54 African countries and nearly 700 million people. 21.7% of the population has never heard about salvation through Jesus Christ.
• There are 771 people groups in Africa who have never heard the Gospel and/or have no Christian church. (Note: the definition of “people group” is from the Greek word ethne and basically boils down to whom it is socially acceptable for you to marry.)
• Less than half of Africa’s people have access to safe drinking water, leaving them exposed to water-borne diseases like cholera, typhoid and hepatitis.
• A third of the people in Africa are malnourished, and half live below the poverty line of less than $1 (U.S.) a day.
• Africa is the epicenter of the AIDS pandemic; more than 70% of people in the world with HIV or AIDS live in Africa.
• A quarter of all AIDS deaths in Africa are children.
• Without AIDS/HIV education, nothing will prevent it from spreading.
• Over half of Africa’s population is under 15 years of age.
• The majority of these are orphaned due to the devastation of diseases such as AIDS which are rampant in Africa

This is what breaks our hearts, what pushes us out of our safe zone, what can possibly bring us to move clear across the world. There are 771 people groups in Africa who have never heard the Gospel and/or have no Christian church. We want to be a part of bringing that number down. Millions suffer from disease and illness primarily because they’re poor. We want to help them while they can’t help themselves. Africa’s children need food, medicine, shelter, education, and knowledge of God’s love. We want to see their future be better than their present.

We’ve volunteered, using the gifts and talents God’s given us, to serve the missionaries who have the gifts and talents to help their futures, both here on earth and in eternity. That’s how we fit into this puzzle, and that’s why we’re going to Africa.

Neither Paul nor I have gifts of evangelism or preaching. We’re not doctors or engineers or pilots. But God has given both of us gifts in working with children and youth; He has orchestrated our experiences and education, uniquely preparing us for teaching, counseling, and serving ministries; and He has given us compassion for the lost, hurting, and dying on this amazing continent.

You can order All that You Can’t Leave Behind on Amazon.com. ~ cck